Peach tree named ‘Gulfprince’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of peach tree which has a winter chilling requirement of approximately 400 chill units (cu). The tree is of large size, with a highly vigorous spreading growth habit, and has showy pink flowers. Glands are small and reniform in shape and isolated to the basal portions of leaves. This tree, which has been denominated ‘Gulfprince’ is a regular bearer of heavy crops of early mid-season fruit which are large for its ripening season. Fruit are very firm, yellow, non-melting flesh which are clingstone. Fruit are uniform, attractive, substantially symmetrical shape, and have an attractive 45 to 55% solid red skin. The fruit ripens 10 to 14 days after ‘June Gold’ in early June at Attapulgus, Ga.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach(Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) tree which is named ‘Gulfprince’ and, moreparticularly to a peach tree which produces highly colored, good eatingquality, clingstone, non-melting flesh fruit which are mature for freshmarket in early June at Attapulgus, Ga. and which are produced on a treeadapted to a semi-mild winter climate. Asexual propagation was performedthrough 2 successive buddings at Gainesville, Fla. where the selectionwas made and trees were tested at Gainesville and at Attapulgus.Asexually propagated plants remained true to type. Contrast is made to‘June Gold’ (unpatented) peach, a standard variety, for reliabledescription. This new variety is a promising candidate for commercialsuccess in that it retains fruit firmness at the full flavor, tree ripestage for 10 days on the tree.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

This peach tree (genotype) originated in the fruit breeding program atthe University of Florida, located at Gainesville, Fla. The seed parentwas ‘Aztecgold’ (unpatented), a non-melting flesh peach [originated asan F₂ of ‘Sunred’ (unpatented) nectarine×‘Mexican Cling’ (unpatented)peach]. The pollen parent was ‘Oro A’ (unpatented), a non-melting fleshpeach that originated as a seed importation from Brazil. ‘Gulfprince’peach was selected from about 50 sibs in 1993, it exhibited yellow,non-melting clingstone flesh, and was designated Fla. 93-14C. It waspropagated as a uniform variety through standard asexual propagation bybudding on ‘Flordaguard’ (unpatented) seedling rootstock for root-knotnematode control and determined at Attapulgus to have unique tree andfruit characteristics making it worthy for commercial fresh fruitproduction. There are no known effects of this rootstock on this scioncultivar.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The new and distinct variety of peach tree bears yellow, non-meltingflesh fruit, and has a moderate-chilling dormancy requirement.‘Gulfprince’ blooms about 10 days before ‘June Gold’ peach atAttapulgus, bearing red skin, non-melting and yellow flesh fruit. Theestimated chilling requirement is 400 chill units as compared to ‘JuneGold’ at 650 chill units.

The present invention resulting in ‘Gulfprince’ peach tree ischaracterized by non-melting flesh fruit of excellent flavor and eatingquality on a tree adapted to medium chill winters. The trees arevigorous, productive and regular bearing. Trees attain in two years, aheight of three meters and a spread of two meters at Attapulgus.Terminal growth of up to a meter annually is common on maturefive-year-old trees with normal pruning to a vase shape. The first fruitripen the first week of June at Attapulgus or in about 105 to 115 daysfrom full bloom, which is about 10 to 14 days after ‘June Gold’. Thefruit are uniformly large for an early-mid season peach. Ripe fruit have45 to 55% solid (no stripes) red skin with a small amount of red pigmentthroughout the flesh on the sun exposed side of the fruit, especially ontrees stressed during hot, dry weather. There is no red pigment in theflesh at the pit. The showy flowers are pink and the anthers are lightred to yellow, a common characteristic of many standard peach andnectarine varieties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawing is a color photograph which shows a typicalspecimen of the fruit, leaf, and stem of the new variety as nearly trueas it is reasonably possible to make in a color illustration of thistype. The photograph shows an attractive shape and exterior colorationof four specimens of fruit above a ruler in side view, stem end view, ablossom end view, and side view showing the suture.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The tree, flowers, and fruit may vary in slight detail due to variationsin soil type, cultural practices, and climatic conditions. The potentialfor commercial production of fresh fruit by ‘Gulfprince’ is high, due toits attractive red skin over a bright yellow ground color, large fruitof good flavor, and exceptional firmness due to its non-melting flesh.The present botanical description is that of the variety as grown on5-year-old trees on ‘Flordaguard’ rootstock under the ecologicalconditions prevailing at Attapulgus, Ga. Colors are described from “ThePantone Book of Color” published by H. N. Abrams, Inc., N.Y. 1990.

Tree:

Ploidy.—Diploid.

Size.—Trees are large when trained to an open vase form.

Vigor.—Vigorous, and must be summer and winter pruned to keep treeheight restricted and to keep center of vase open.

Density.—Medium to dense in branching habit.

Form.—Semi-upright when pruned to vase shape.

Bearer.—Regular, must be fruit thinned to avoid limb breakage and obtainlarge fruit size. Yields equivalent to 200 to 250 bushels (50 lbs. each)per acre on 4 and 5 year old trees have been obtained on hand thinnedtrees under a commercial simulated orchard culture at Attapulgus.

Trunk:

Size.—Large trunk diameter attaining 10 cm diameter at a height of 30 cmat the end of 3 years field growth at Attapulgus.

Texture.—Medium smooth, but changes to medium rough as tree ages.

Bark color.—Older bark gray, Lead Gray (Pantone 17-1118).

Lenticels.—Numerous (14 per 4 square inches of surface area of trunk),small (2-5mm radial length) with the center being Mineral Yellow(Pantone 15-1046).

Branches:

Size.—Strong growth of scaffold branches.

Texture.—Relatively smooth, medium amount of lenticels attaining sizefound on trunk and old scaffolds.

Color.—New wood is light green, Tarragon (Pantone 15-0326); Old wood ismore brown, Ash (Pantone 16-3802).

Crotch angles.—Angles selected at 45 to 90 degrees in first year of treetraining. Natural angles are within the normal range of standardvarieties for a semi-upright tree.

Leaves:

Size.—Medium; 15 to 19 cm length, including the petiole; 3 to 4 cmwidth. Measurements were made on vigorous upright shoots of summergrowth.

Thickness.—Regular and average for commercial peach varieties.

Form.—Lanceolate.

Apex.—Acute.

Margin.—Serrulate, slightly undulate.

Base.—Cuneate.

Surface.—Upper, glabrous; Lower, medium large veins.

Color.—Lower surface is green, Grasshopper (Pantone 18-0332); Uppersurface is slightly darker green, Black Forest (Pantone 19-0315).

Glands.—Two to four small reniform glands mostly on lower leaf blade,but occassionally on petiole. Leaf glands are moderately smaller thanthose on most commercial varieties. Leaf glands on young leaves arelight green darkening to brown on older leaves in mid-summer.

Petiole.—About 1 cm (0.7 to 1.1 cm).

Stipules.—Medium size and early deciduous.

Flower buds:

Abundance.—Moderately high, most buds produce flowers that set fruit inabsence of spring frosts.

Size.—Medium, average 3.5 mm length.

Form.—Plump, conic.

Surface.—Pubescent scales.

Color.—Brown, Stucco (Pantone 16-1412) in late winter.

Flowers:

Blossom period.—10 days before ‘June Gold’ peach — average February12-16 at Attapulgus.

Aroma.—Slight to none.

Type.—Showy, location and seasonally variable, and in the mid-range ofcommercial showy varieties. Freshly opened flowers averaged 1½ inchesdiameter. Texture is smooth.

Color.—Pink, darkening to pink red before abscising and within the rangeof standard commercial varieties.

Flower parts.—Stamens and pistil size and color are within the size andcolor range of standard commercial varieties. The number of sepals andpetals are 5 as is common for all commercial varieties.

Calyx cup.—Medium small as compared to commercial varieties.

Anthers.—Light red to yellow, regular size.

Pollen.—Abundant and bright yellow (common to many varieties).

Fertility.—Fully self fertile, and no cross pollination is required.

Fruit:

Maturity when described.—Tree ripe, Jun. 4, 1999 at Attapulgus.

Date of first picking.—Jun. 1, 1999 at Attapulgus.

Date of last picking.—Jun. 10, 1999 at Attapulgus.

Size.—Uniform, medium large (large size for early mid-season maturity at140 to 180 g). Average equatorial diameter. — 2½ inches (64 mm). Averagepolar length (stem to distal end). — 2¾ inches (70 mm).

Form:

Longitudinal section form.—Slightly oval.

Transverse section through diameter.—Round.

Suture.—Shallow and inconspicuous.

Ventral surface.—Rounded.

Base.—Slightly retuse.

Apex.—Round to slight point.

Cavity.—Flaring circular.

Cavity depth.—¼ to ⅜ inch (6 to 9 mm).

Cavity breadth.—{fraction (5/32)} inch (3 mm) at attachment.

Skin:

Thickness.—Medium in comparison to commercial peach varieties.

Texture.—Medium in comparison to commercial peach varieties.

Tenacity.—Tenacious to flesh.

Color.—Bright red, Fire Cracker (Pantone 16-1452) over 45 to 55% ofskin. Ground color deep yellow, Radiant Yellow (Pantone 15-1058).

Tendency to crack.—None observed.

Flesh:

Ripens.—Evenly within each fruit and throughout the tree.

Texture.—Firm, juicy, non-melting when fully ripe.

Fibers.—Very fine, tender, small.

Aroma.—Moderate and in the middle range of commercial peach varieties.

Eating quality.—Good, sweet, slightly acid. Fruit averaged near 13degrees brix on a refractometer when described at harvest date on Jun.4, 1999. Titratable acidity was 0.83 as % malic acid and, standard forpeach, penetrometer firmness was 1.6 Kg.

Juice.—Abundant.

Color.—Deep yellow, Saffron (Pantone 14-1064) with some rednessthroughout the flesh, especially on stressed trees under dry, hotconditions. There is no red at the pit.

Browning by oxidation.—Slight on soft ripe fruit.

Amygdalin.—Undetected.

Stone:

Type.—Clingstone, adhering to flesh even at softening.

Size.—Medium small; average length — 30 mm, average width — 23 mm.

Color.—Grey Sand (Pantone 13-1010) when freshly exposed.

Form.—Oblong.

Base.—Straight.

Apex.—Acute.

Sides.—Near equal.

Surface.—Irregularly furrowed toward the ventral edge.

Ridges.—Jagged toward the base.

Pit wall.—{fraction (3/16)} to ¼ inch thick (5 to 6 mm).

Tendency to split.—Low, none observed.

Use.—Fresh; dessert.

Resistance to disease.—High resistance to bacterial spot incited byXanthomonas campestris pv. pruni. Resistance to other fruit and treediseases are within the range for commercial peach cultivars in Florida.

Keeping quality.—Excellent after 2 weeks at 7 C.

Shipping quality.—Degree of firmness at harvest and firmness retained inrefrigeration for 2 weeks at 7 C. indicates fruit should be highlyacceptable for shipping.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct peach tree variety as illustrated anddescribed, characterized by a mid-chilling requirement, and bearingearly mid-season fruit having firm, yellow, non-melting flesh of higheating quality and an attractive, high percentage red overcolor withfruit ripening in early June or 10 to 14 days after June Gold atAttapulgus, Ga.